Promising treatment to cure insomnia

May 19, 2009 2:04:45 PM PDT

May 19, 2009 --

Many Americans turn to medication to help them get to sleep at night. But new research is finding that these sleep aids are just a short-term solution. Americans fill millions of prescriptions every year to help with chronic insomnia. But a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that over the long term behavioral therapy is most effective at solving sleep problems.

Results showed that patterns fared best when they started with medication and therapy and then switched to therapy alone after six months.

Patients learned strategies such as going to bed only when sleepy, avoiding caffeine later in the day and rising at the same time every morning.

Researchers say people who rely on medication alone don't learn the healthy sleep habits needed to banish insomnia for good.